Banana Republic

Why r/BuyItForLife recommends Banana Republic

38 mentions from real owners

• #1Dec 31, 2025

  stretchy, skintight, preferably natural fiber, long-sleeved women's "base layer"?

  They used to be called tissue tees, I think some brands still have them. Thin cotton shirts, like so thin it would be see through on its own but great for light layering for normal everyday wear. I have some from J Crew, banane republic, gap, madewell etc that have help up pretty well. Of course the thinner it is, the less longevity but I have some basic J Crew cotton long sleeve tees that I’ve had for 10+ years. 

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• #2Dec 30, 2025

  Women’s long wool coat

  Long coats like these are some of the most expensive pieces of clothing you can buy new simply because of how much raw material they use. Think about how much of your body they have to cover coupled with their thickness. A high-quality, thick, 100% cashmere coat like you’re describing can easily be $2k if not more, wool easily $1k. That being said, these are also some of the hardiest pieces, so it’s very easy to find them secondhand in thrift stores for MUCH cheaper than buying new, less than $100 easily. If you’re not married to the idea of 100% wool or cashmere, you can find plenty of nice new polyester-wool blend coats in your price range pretty easily as well. Quince has a great 90% wool, 10% cashmere long coat for $200 but the lining is 100% poly. Banana Republic has an Italian Wool blend top coat that goes on sale pretty often.

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• #3Dec 27, 2025

  Casual Women’s Clothing for 33 year Old

  I love that look too. I purchase a lot from banana republic

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• #4Dec 27, 2025

  Casual Women’s Clothing for 33 year Old

  Like others have said-fabric and construction. I’ve found pieces at for big brands: JCrew, Everlane, Banana Republic, Aritzia (though they’re going downhill now in quality), even Zara. I stick with natural fibers-mainly cotton and cashmere. Quince quality is awful. I recommend checking out @fond.losangelas who breaks this down and gives you what to look out for!

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• #5Dec 27, 2025

  Casual Women’s Clothing for 33 year Old

  I highly recommend going on Poshmark if she already has some favorites that have lasted and knows her size in that brand. I've gotten some great deals there on LL Bean, Brooks Brothers, and Banana Republic clothes that are reasonably well made as a petite woman.

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• #6Dec 26, 2025

  Casual Women’s Clothing for 33 year Old

  Quince i've heard great things! Especially if she likes j.Crew, my only other recommendation is sale Banana Republic ...Because, oh my gosh, they have great sales.

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• #7Dec 21, 2025

  Cashmere and merino from J.Crew and Banana Republic cause irritation. Should I try higher-end brands or look for alternatives?

  I collected cashmere sweaters from JC and BR from 2009 to about 2020 and I can say with certainty that quality diminished steadily. I am sensitive to all woolens, so I wore a collared shirt or tee with a high crewneck 99% of the time when I wanted to wear one of these sweaters. If I was in the market for new cashmere, I'd shop vintage or save up for better stuff (that comes from the UK or wool-producing countries).

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• #8Dec 4, 2025

  Need new wardrobe. Do I go LL Bean, Filson, Patagonia, Huckleberry? Main goal is to last a long time.

  It’s also good to know what pieces comprise a wardrobe for you. Like I would start with J Crew/Banana Republic if I were looking for outfits for work. All of my t-shirts/trendy pieces come from Old Navy, preferably during a 50% off sale. Consider what colors you like and what cuts flatter you most before shopping as well. I mostly buy neutral colors, and supplement with blues and greens. And because I have a long torso, high-rise flared/bootcut pants and short A-line skirts look best on me.

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• #9Dec 4, 2025

  Wool Overcoat Suggestions

  I'm not sure if they ship to Canada, but [Hawes and Curtis](https://www.hawesandcurtis.co.uk/navy-wool-overcoat-coprw237-g01?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22615763917&gbraid=0AAAAADr__d-xnqbRrkKkRi_P15lBle_Xq&gclid=Cj0KCQiA_8TJBhDNARIsAPX5qxQ_O8t9aNMpKO2Tg82U4Mm04lhwN3QGS1VdWVICcgKVIAs0snZ6kIkaAhGEEALw_wcB) in the UK have some pure wool ones. I owned one from Banana Republic that lasted me ten years until I leaned against a freshly painted red pole! Disappointed to look now and see that all their men's wool overcoats are blends.

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• #10Dec 4, 2025

  Something you didn’t expect to be BIFL but outlasted your expectations?

  Yes I got some second hand banana Republic pieces in 2006/2007 and they're still good now I didn't even know when they were originally purchased.

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• #11Dec 4, 2025

  Something you didn’t expect to be BIFL but outlasted your expectations?

  I have a shirt from banana republic that’s 25 yo. It’s still in good conditions. I have even older ones.

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• #12Dec 3, 2025

  Best plain white tee?

  Banana Republic has multiple weights. I wear a rotation of the light weight ones all year long.

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• #13Nov 6, 2025

  What are some brands for good quality Trousers for men that lasts for life?

  Ehh I have a hard time buying dress clothes for life. I've found that they all will show wear overtime. My priority with dress clothes for work is comfort. I use the banana republic core temp pants. They are the most comfortable and stylish pants I've found to date. They hold up very well for a few years (I've yet to wear one out).

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• #14Nov 6, 2025

  Why is it so hard to find well-made clothes that aren't insanely priced?

  J Crew and Banana Republic have a lot of good cotton this year. I bought quite a $15 cotton T-shirt at the outlet and I’m super happy with it.

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• #15Nov 5, 2025

  Why is it so hard to find well-made clothes that aren't insanely priced?

  Where are you shopping that those are normal prices for you? I live in Canada (albeit the warmer part lol) and ive never paid more than 250 for a winter parka/coat. I go for reasonable brands anf shop their sales. E.g. Columbia, LL Bean etc...  Under that, a baselayer tee + a wool sweater is plenty. I cant imagine paying more than like 150 max for a sweater. Fleece works too for cheaper. E.g. uniqlo, banana republic... make sure you know how to take care of wool sweaters. A lot of people ruin wool with improper washing thrn blame the quality.  Winter clothes are about layering, not $1000 parkas. 

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• #16Nov 5, 2025

  Why is it so hard to find well-made clothes that aren't insanely priced?

  I thrift like 90% of my clothes and I pretty much only get high quality shit that's either cotton, wool or cashmere. And I don't even go to those boutique thrift stores - I either go to consignment shops run by old ladies who mark everything super cheap, or smaller chain department thrift stores. If I'm buying new, I get the good shit from Banana Republic or RW&Co when it's on sale. For example, Banana Republic has a website for their outlet warehouse that (on top of their discounts) regularly has sales. I just ordered a $400 wool jacket for $150.

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• #17Nov 5, 2025

  Why is it so hard to find well-made clothes that aren't insanely priced?

  I live by a goodwill where once a weak could walk out with an entire outfit from Banana Republic.

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• #18Nov 5, 2025

  Why is it so hard to find well-made clothes that aren't insanely priced?

  When I got my first career job after college, I got a lot of my wardrobe staples from Banana Republic. More than a decade later, I still have all those pieces, and they’re in great condition. These days, I typically can’t justify Banana Republic’s prices, but I pop in and check their clearance section periodically. I also LOVE the clothes I’ve gotten from Athleta, though again, I’m shopping sales. However, periodically Costco carries clothing from Banana Republic. I got a few nice shirts for $15 each. So that’s my new clothing hack, for the time being.

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• #19Nov 5, 2025

  Why is it so hard to find well-made clothes that aren't insanely priced?

  Seconding u/tjc4. There’s a ton of great stuff out there. I’m wearing a $200-250 sweater I got on sale for under $100. I have a stack of $40-50 secondhand sweaters.  My new sweaters are outstanding and $250-300 at full retail? But also, most of the time how you take care of your clothes has more bearing on longevity than materials and construction as long as you aren’t buying SHEIN garbage.  My clothes from non-niche Gap, Uniqlo, LL Bean, Banana Republic don’t fall apart because I read labels and avoid high heat in the dryer.  There are plenty of other specialty brands out there making great stuff. But good stuff isn’t cheap, and a big part of that is labor costs. Too many people want high quality clothes with sweatshop price tags. 

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• #20Nov 5, 2025

  Why is it so hard to find well-made clothes that aren't insanely priced?

  Patagonia, Marmot, Orvis, LLBean (admittedly hit or miss), Barbour, Eileen Fisher (for women), check Irish import stores. Look at thrift stores for older Brooks Brothers, Ralph Lauren, Banana Republic, even Gap.

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• #21Oct 9, 2025

  Desperately looking for high quality trousers for TALL women

  for tall women it usually comes down to shopping where inseam length isnt an afterthought. american tall and alloy apparel actually build around 35-38 inch inseams so the proportions work right. banana republic and j crew do decent tall sizing in better fabrics that hold up way longer than the cheap asos topshop tall stuff. reiss and cos are good for minimalist cuts if you want to spend more. some madewell and citizens jeans run long too. amazon has some surprisingly decent options though if you know which store to look at. from the top of my head [jinkesi has](https://freebiesdealsandrewards.com/dp-B0CMWFVRRW) wide leg pants that are high waist and flowy.

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• #22Oct 7, 2025

  Stylish cut blank t's that don't pill up after washing quite a few times

  I wear a black luxury touch t-shirt from Banana Republic almost every day. They've held up quite well and have maintained their shape. The Supima ones are also decent. The lightweight cotton ones are hot garbage.

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• #23Oct 1, 2025

  Levi's jeans failed after 2 years - what are the best hard wearing jeans that will last longer?

  surprisingly for a fashoin brand, banana republic's been a steady pick for me, I've been wearing a pair of dark grey jeans from them for a while and they're fully broken in but still take quite a beating, I'll go bouldering outdoors or urbxxing in them occasionally and they've saved me from quite a few rough scratches without showing any lasting damage

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• #24Aug 12, 2025

  Men's suede bomber jacket recommendations?

  banana republic

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• #25Aug 8, 2025

  High quality and soft men t-shirts

  On a related note, my Costco only had Kirkland crew necks, but I bought the Banana Republic v-necks from Costco, and they feel VERY soft. Also, slightly longer, so they stay tucked in. Bought more, but only had the first batch for about 2-3 washes so for, so can't speak for longevity yet.

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• #26Aug 1, 2025

  Bright bifl women's clothing?

  Try to look for vintage pieces very specific to the colors you want, in 100% natural fibers like silk, cotton, and wool. I have an orange Banana Republic zip up that I got secondhand that has to be 20 years old that is indestructible and still vibrant as new. Most clothes made before 2008 will have sturdier construction and better quality materials. I have two 100% silk tops from the 80s that are also vibrant as ever. Older items also won’t have buttons and strings hanging off and open seams if you know how to spot the well made ones, too. Find things online or irl thrift that are over 20 years old but in good brands like Land’s End, J Crew, Ralph Lauren, even Gucci, Dior, Armani but old enough to be priced well now. My closet is 60% thrift and BIFL and that Venn Diagram is a circle! The slightly older items last so much better I’ve found.

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• #27Jul 9, 2025

  Looking for a Natural-Fiber Bomber Jacket – Recommendations?

  https://bananarepublicfactory.gapfactory.ca/browse/product.do?pid=667251014&vid=1&pcid=1045385

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• #28Jul 3, 2025

  Plain but quality mens clothing that isn't too showy

  Pretty much all the really nice ones. Banana republic, though they’re hit or miss these days. I like j crew. Brooks Brothers.

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• #29Jul 3, 2025

  Plain but quality mens clothing that isn't too showy

  Uniqlo, j crew, banana

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• #30Jul 3, 2025

  Plain but quality mens clothing that isn't too showy

  Muji, Banana Republic for everyday-wear. CT, Loro, and Brunello. IMHO suits should never be bought off the rack — mind are all hand-stitched and (more importantly) cut for me. I buy suit material opportunistically. Suit supply is okay — they use a method called made to measure which can give good results but is not BIFL. And you only really need two suits: navy and charcoal.

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• #31Jul 3, 2025

  Plain but quality mens clothing that isn't too showy

  Loro Piana, Stoffa, Zegna, Canali, Corneliani. Suit Supply, Banana Republic, Castatlantic. All are on the more expensive side though. Alternatively, look for more „local” brands. I don’t know if you’re EU or US, but in EU most countries have nice small brands that produce locally and keep the classic/casual look with good quality.

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• #32Jun 1, 2025

  Recommendations for Women’s Business Casual Clothing?

  I'd also ask in r/capsulewardrobe and r/womensfashion. This really depends on your style and price point. To be honest, I find thrifting vintage to have the best quality, but you might try Banana Republic/Gap, Loft, Talbots, Land's End, and L.L. Bean. Aim for natural fibers (some mix wool with polyester will help with longevity for blazers/trousers) as they tend to wear longer than synthetics. Avoid acrylic. And don't overwash or use high heat to dry. The way you care for clothing has a huge impact on its life-span.

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• #33May 9, 2025

  Fed up with crappy tshirts. Tried Sene as a last resort (brutally honest review)

  Banana Republic have been really nice for me, no shrinking, good fit, I’ve had some for a really long time and they still are kicking. They have good sales sometimes too.

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• #34Apr 5, 2025

  Men's Everyday Pants under $100?

  If you’re in a warm climate and want something lightweight, check out Uniqlo EZY pants or the Banana Republic Slim Traveler. Clean look, comfy, and under $100 if you catch a sale. I wear them with loafers or sneakers and they work great.

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• #35Mar 7, 2025

  All the best products/brands to buy for life?

  I shop Poshmark & Thread up, only for the quality brands and sizes I know are consistent. Petite Banana Republic, petite Ann Taylor, Chic, Converse. Patagonia. Forgetting some but I buy mostly classic styles that I only need to supplement with trendy accessories. I treated myself with Doc Martens on my 70s bday. Brand new at Poshmark 1/2 the price.

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• #36Mar 3, 2025

  A note about clothing quality

  For Gap in particular-and BR is the same IMO- I’d say no later than 2000. Gap Inc brands have a tag inside with the season and year. For denim in general, look for 100% cotton w/o stretch. For clothing in general, with a few obvious BIFL exceptions, pre 2000 will be better quality than new. Someone else in this sub w garment industry expertise will know the why.

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• #37Feb 1, 2025

  Flannel shirts that last

  I've found that jcrew and banana Republic shirts last a long time and are low polyester. Granted, you pay for what you get but it's worth it

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• #38Jan 3, 2025

  Which women’s clothing brands do you stalk for sales? (20-30 age style)

  Banana Republic

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